Door-edge circuit closer



Mardi 12, 1929- l..A P. HYNEs Er AL DOO'R EDGE CIRCUIT CLOSER Filed Jan. 22. 1921 Patented Mar. 12, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEE P. HYNES AND PERCY M. GRIFFIN, OF ALBANY, NEXV YORK, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CONSOLIDATED CAR-HEATING COMPANY, INC., OF ALBANY,

NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DOOR-EDGE CIRCUIT CLOSER.

Application led January 22, 1921.

For a detailed description of the present 'torni ot' our invention, reference may be had to the following specification and to the accompanying drawing forming a part thereot. wherein Fig. l .is a side elevation partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation;

Fig. El is a horizont-al section and Fig. -la portion of a .rear elevation.

)ur invention relates to an arrangement. o door-edge circuit-closer for causing the closure of an electric circuitwhen a door, such as a car-door. encounters an obstacle while in the act of closing. The effect ot thus closing the circuit is to cause the immediate arrest or retraction of the door to prevent injury to the encountered obstacle.

llcretoitore a door-shoe has been used for this purpose which. as its name indicates, has been in the nature of a bar or channel mounted on the front edge of the door, so as to swing or slide inward with respect thereto when it strikes an obstruction and thereby cause the closure of the contacts of an electric circuit. Such shoes are objectionable in that they require a bodily movement of the entire shoe to close the contacts and involve pivotal or sliding connections having considerable tricti on th at renders them sluggish in operation.

lVe purpose to avoid these objections by providing a rigid stationary strip of insulation on the edge of the door and securely fastened thereto, with a series of contacts. corresponding alternatelv to the opposite sides of the electric circuit, mounting thereon. This series of contacts extends from top to bottom of the door and at any point in that range anv applied pressure will bring together the contacts located at that point and thereby close the circuit.

We make the aforesaid rigid strip and the series of contacts mounted thereon as separate articles which can be constructed at the factory and then applied to the door on the ground. .it being only necessary to mount the shoe and contact on the edge ofthe door, or in a prepared groove in said edge, and connect up its terminals with the car-circuitwhich is to be closed.

Referring to the drawing, A represents the front edge of the door, which, in this case, is provided with a metal channel' A1 riveted thereto at X for the reception of the circuitcloser. The door is assumed to be of metal,

is soldered or brazed thereto.

Serial No. 439,072.

although a wooden door could he used. B is a light rigid strip ot' wood. seated in the channel A1 with an intervening channelshaped layer F ot' libre or other similar insulating material. The strip B extends from top to bottom ot' the door and on its front face mounted a series ot contact-springs B1 B1 B1 B2, etc. These springs or fingers overlap so that the inxi'airl. pressure on one will force it against the underlying portion of the next adjacent one and establish electrical connection therewith. On the rear side of the. strip B are two insulated wires C1 C2 extending through the length thereof, and at .intervals the insulation of the wires is cut away and asinall plate seated on the strip These small plates on Wire C1 are marked c1 c1, etc..y and those on wire C2 are marked c1 c2, etc. Through each of these plates is passed a screw extendingr to the front side of the wooden strip B and there entering a hole in one of the contact-springs and in a washer plate on the face of the spring and headed over to retain it in position. For instance a screw passing through a small plate c1 will enter a contact-spring B1 and washer o1 thereon. By this means all of the springs B1 will be connected electrically to the wire C1 and all of the springs B2 to the wire C2. Obviously the ,meeting ot any spring B1 with a spring B2 will close an electric circuit between wires C1 and (l2. The two wires at the top oit' the door are brought to approximately the same position on strip B and there secured to the strip by a binding cord. By this means anv stress on the wires will notbe communicated to the connecting means between the wire and its corresponding set ot contact si'n'ingsA The wires then pass from the rear of the strip B through the metal wall of the door-edge into the hollow space within the door. There they may be connected with the wires of the circuit to be closed.

Outside of the series of contact-springs is a yielding U-shaped rubber wall D with sideplates (Z rl. Through these side-plates and through the walls ot the metal channel A1 are passed wood screws that hold all ot the parts securely together.

In practice the rigid strip B, together with the contacts, the comiluctors C1 C2 and the insulating layer F is manufactured as a separate unit which. can be completed at the factory and then maybe applied as a unit to the door. l/Vhat We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is Y l. A door-edge circuit closer con'iprising a nioiiable support, two series ot' independent Contact iingers having anchoring portions secured to said support in a single line along the edge thereo't, so that the contact fingers 'will overlap, said fingers being connected alternately to the opposite sides of an electric circuit in multiple, so that the said edge is protected by a continuons line of alternately yieldable contacts of opposite polarity, some one of which Will be moved to close the circuit when said edge encounters an unyielding obstruction.

2. A door-edge circuit-closer `comprising a movable support, two series of independent contacts located at intervals along an edge ot said support, a supporting strip attached to said edge, an insulating strip therefor and two conductors extending` parallel to both series and connected respectively thereto, each contact of a series being positioned to overhang a contact ot the other series so that said edge is protected by a continuous line of alternately arranged yieldable contacts oi' opposite polarity, some one of which will be moved to close the circuit when any portion of said support edge encounters an unyielding obstruction lying` transversely across its path of movement.

3. A door-edge circuit-closer comprising a movable support, two series of independent contacts located at intervals along one edge of said support, those of one series being connected in multiple to one side of an electric circuit and those of the other series to the opposite side or' said circuit, each contact of a series being positioned to overhang a contact of the other series so that said edge is protected by a Acontinuous line ot alternately arranged yieldable contacts ot opposite polarity, some one of which will. be moved to close the circuit when any portion of said edge encounters an unyielding obstruction eXtending transversely across its path ot movement, and an external enclosing' i 7all for said contacts, said enclosing wall being constructed oi yieldable material and mounted on the edge of said support.

4. A door-edge circuit closer coin )rising a movable support, two series oi independent contacts locatedat intervals along one edge of said support, those ot one series being connected in multiple to one side of an electric circuit and those of the other series to the opposite side of the electric circuit, said contacts being each secured at one end to said support and free at the other end, the said secured ends being arranged in alignment alongsaid support, the bodies of said contacts being alleXtended in the same direction so as to overlap each other and protect said edge by a continuous line oi alternately arranged yieldable contacts of opposite polarity, some one of which will be moved to close the circuit When any portion oit' said edge encounters an unyielding obstruction, and an external enclosing Wall for said contacts, said Wall being constructed of yieldable material and mounted on the edge of said support.

Signed at Albany, county' of Albany and State of New York, this 17th day of January, 1921,

LEE P. HYNES. PERCY M. GRIFFIN. 

